Slice of a Magical Life
by Lunaritian
Summary: The Azumanga Daioh girls get visited by Kyubey, who offers to fulfill their wishes. For some reason, he has a special interest in Osaka, who doesn't seem to understand the situation at all.
1. Osaka's Dream

**Author's notes:**

This is something I've wanted to write for quite a while. I got the idea for this last summer, while I was extremely tired. I thought that the quite unique story of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the quite unique character, Osaka, of Azumanga Daioh would work together well. They are also two of my favorite series, even though they're so different.

The story will probably have a lot of spoilers for both Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Azumanga Daioh, and I strongly recommend watching them both before reading this. I'm almost sure that you won't understand it without watching at least Madoka first, anyway.

The first chapter isn't very important to the plot, but I think this is the best way to start this. Madoka started with a dream scene too.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"<em>Kasuga!"<em>

…

"_Kasuga-san, can you hear me?"_

… "huh?"

"_Your name is Kasuga, isn't it?"_

"Oh, right, that's my name... Kasuga Ayumu."

Ayumu, known to her friends as "Osaka", looked around. She was standing in a completely white room, which was empty.

"Huh? Where did that voice come from?"

"_You'll see soon. Just walk out of the door behind you and the continue forward."_

She turned around and sure enough there was a white door. Seeing that there was no other way out, she decided to do as the voice said.

She opened the door. Behind it was a long, white hallway, and at the other end was another door, much bigger than this one. The ceiling was decorated with eerie lights.

She walked to the other end and opened the door. Now she was outside. It was almost completely dark, except for a small path illuminated with torches leading away from the building.

"_Just follow the path."_

Most people would have freaked out seeing the path which could have been from their worst nightmares, but being a very unique person she actually found it beautiful.

The path led her to a small park, which was lit by a single lamp in the middle. The park was completely silent; she was alone there. Well, almost.

"_Welcome."_

She could finally see the speaker, though it didn't seem to actually speak. In any case, it was a small white animal; it looked a bit like a cat, but it had red eyes, very long ears with some kind of rings on them and a face frozen into a cute, yet sly expression. It was sitting on a bench.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"_I'm Kyubey. And you're Kasuga Ayumu, right?"_

"Yea... I think so."

"_Good. We need to talk. I have something important to tell you. But this is not a place for that."_

"Oh. What is this place anyway? I don't remember there being any parks like this near my house."

"_Your dream."_

"My dream?"

"_That's what I said, right? But that is not important. We'll meet in a few days. Don't worry about anything until then."_

Kyubey turned around, jumped off the bench and disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Osaka woke up to her alarm clock ringing. She yawned and then remembered her dream.<p>

"What a weird dream! It feels like it wasn't a dream at all. I can't wait to tell others about it. And that nyaa... I mean cat was so cute."

She looked at the window to see the sunrise. For a while, she thought she saw a white cat smiling at her.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>

I hope you liked it :) The first chapter was quite short, but the next one will be longer. I also promise that the next chapter will end with an interesting cliffhanger.

As for when it's ready, that's a good question. Hopefully soon though :)


	2. It's a cute cat?

"Good morning, Osaka-san!" Chiyo shouted when she saw her friend come into the classroom.

"Mornin', Chiyo-chan", Osaka replied lazily and walked to her seat.

"What's wrong, Osaka? Are you tired?"

"Yeah, I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Just make sure to stay awake, Yukari-sensei will probably throw you out of the class if she catches you sleeping in the classroom once more."

"No problem." She flipped her English book open and laid her head on it. "It's not a pillow, but it's okay..."

"Osaka-san, no!"

"Ah! Sorry, sorry..."

The teacher, Yukari, stepped into the classroom. "Good morning, class! Did you all sleep well during the weekend? Oh, looks like at least one didn't", she said and gazed angrily at Osaka.

* * *

><p>Somehow Osaka managed to stay awake until lunch. She and her friends - Chiyo, Sakaki, Yomi and Tomo - decided to eat on the roof, as they often did.<p>

"Oh, right, we found this cat-like creature in our garden last night. It seemed to be injured, so we took it inside. I wonder if it actually was a cat though, it had these red eyes and -" Chiyo started.

"KYUBEY!" Osaka yelled at the top of her lungs as soon as she heard this.

"Hey, calm down, Osaka", Yomi said.

"What is it, Osaka-san? Who is Kyubey?" Chiyo asked.

"Ah! Kyubey!" Osaka answered, like she didn't even understand the question.

"Yes, who is Kyubey?" everyone asked her.

"I saw a cat like that in my dream last night... he called himself Kyubey", she finally managed to explain.

"Go on", Yomi said.

"I'm sure I haven't seen him anywhere before... but he said that he wants to meet me", Osaka continued.

"That sounds really odd... but if you want to, you can come see him", Chiyo suggested.

Osaka nodded. "Of course I want to see him."

"Can I come too?" Sakaki asked.

"Of course, Sakaki-san", Chiyo answered.

"Me too, me too!" Tomo shouted, sounding energetic as always.

"Let's all go see this cat", Yomi suggested.

Everyone agreed to the idea. After eating the rest of their lunch, they went back to the classroom.

* * *

><p>In the afternoon they had maths, which wasn't one of Osaka's favorite subjects. She almost fell asleep again during the class. Then she heard a voice.<p>

"_Kasuga-san, can you hear me?"_

"AH!" Osaka yelled in surprise.

"Hey, shut up, Osaka!" Yukari shouted angrily. "Now, where was I again..."

"_Calm down, Kasuga-san. I'm talking to you telepathically. No one else can hear me. You can try speaking back to me."_

"_Oh... like this?"_

"_Very good. So, as you already know, I'm at your friend's - Mihama-san's - house. And you're coming here today, right?"_

"_Mihama? ...oh, you mean Chiyo-chan. Yes, I am."_

"_Great. We'll talk more then. I'm sure you're dying to know what I want to tell you, but I hope you can wait a few more hours. Goodbye."_

"_Bye."_

After the mental conversation with Kyubey the rest of the afternoon was even more tiring to her. Finally the school bell rang as a sign that school was over.

* * *

><p>Osaka, Chiyo, Sakaki, Yomi and Tomo were walking towards Chiyo's house, as they had planned earlier.<p>

"Osaka-san, is it really true what you said earlier? That the cat - Kyubey, you said? - talked to you inside your mind?" Chiyo asked.

Osaka nodded. "You know I wouldn't lie to you, Chiyo-chan."

"I know that, but it still seems so hard to believe..."

They were now in front of the Mihamas' house, a huge mansion.

"Oh! It's really big!" Osaka exclaimed.

"You've only been here like a hundred times before, right?" Yomi asked sarcastically.

"Oh. Right."

Chiyo opened the door of the house. "Come on in!" she shouted to the others.

The little girl led them upstairs to her room. "Here it is", she said.

There was a basket on a table. In the basket was a cat-like creature, just like the one Osaka had seen in her dream. It seemed to be asleep.

The creature - Kyubey - slowly opened its eyes and stood up. _"So you finally came."_

"Yeah", Osaka replied.

"Who are you talking to?" Chiyo asked.

"To the nyaa - I mean Kyubey, of course."

"Silly Osaka, that thing can't speak", Yomi said.

"_Of course I can speak."_ Now everyone could hear him.

"Just what - what are you? I mean, you can't be just a normal cat, right?" Chiyo asked.

"_Of course not. I am Kyubey! And I want to ask every one of you to do something for me."_

"S-something?" Chiyo repeated, sounding a bit scared now.

"_Yes. I want you to make contracts with me and become Puella Magi!"_ Kyubey answered and smiled.

"Huh?" Tomo said. "What is a Puella Magi? What contracts?"

"_I can fulfill any wish for you. But for that, you must become a Puella Magi and fight against witches."_

"Witches?" Chiyo asked.

"_Witches are creatures which cause all the grief and sadness in this world. They're invisible to everyone but Puella Magi, though. That's why they are needed to kill the witches."_

"That sounds really dangerous", Yomi said.

"_Indeed. Killing witches is very dangerous. This here is a Soul Gem." _Kyubey showed them a gem of some kind_. "As you can see, it's glowing brightly right now. However, the more you use your magic, the darker it will eventually become. Killing a witch gives you a Grief Seed, which will make a gem a little lighter, allowing you to use your magic more."_

"What happens if the gem becomes really dark? " Osaka asked.

_"You will die."_

Everyone's jaw dropped to the floor. Kyubey didn't seem to react to that.

_"That's why I'm offering you a wish. Of course I wouldn't expect you to risk your life for nothing."_

"But still..." Chiyo started, but couldn't finish her sentence.

_"Just think about it as long as you wish. I'll be ready to make the contract if you decide to become a Puella Magi. Remember that it's just one wish though. Choose carefully. Oh, and Kasuga-san..."_

"Yes?" Osaka said carefully.

"_The reason why I contacted you was that I saw a great power inside you. I'm sure you would become the greatest Puella Magi that has ever lived. They say that the people with the greatest imagination also have the most magical power."_

"Huh?"

"_You're the only human I've managed to contact in their sleep. That isn't possible unless you're a great mage. Do you understand?"_

"Not at all."

Kyubey fell completely silent. _"I see."_

He jumped out of the basket and towards an open window. He sat there for a while, just watching the sky without saying anything. Finally he turned around one last time and said _"Sakaki-san, you can tell them now"_ before jumping out of the window and disappearing.


	3. Sakaki's confession

**Author's notes:** You know how sometimes you have a clear idea of what you're going to write, but then the story seems to have a life of its own and turns in a completely different direction? Well, that's what happened here - this chapter certainly didn't go according to the plan.

* * *

><p>Sakaki sat down on the bed without saying a single word.<p>

"Sakaki-san?" Chiyo said. She heard the sound of something hitting the floor and picked it up.

It was a blue gem, shining brightly. "Woah, Sakaki! That looks exactly like the one Kyubey... oh", Osaka said, suddenly realizing what the gem was. "Sakaki-san? Are you a... Puella Magi?" Chiyo asked.

Sakaki nodded, but stayed silent and looked down at her feet.

"Why haven't you told us about this?" Yomi asked.

"I wanted to keep it secret", Sakaki finally answered.

"But why?" Chiyo asked, worried about her friend.

"It's not something you want everyone to know. It's not worth it to become a Puella Magi. You won't realize it before it's too late, though."

"What did you wish for?" Tomo asked.

"I'd like to keep that a secret. It was nothing special."

* * *

><p>"Can I stay here a little longer?" Sakaki asked when everyone else had already left Chiyo's house. "Of course, Sakaki-san, but just a little while. It's getting late already", Chiyo answered. "Do you want coffee or tea or something?" she asked. "Tea, please."<p>

Sakaki went back to Chiyo's room. A few minutes later Chiyo came there too, carrying a teapot and two cups.

"Chiyo, can I ask you to do something for me?" Sakaki suddenly asked.

"Of course, Sakaki-san. What is it?"

Sakaki stood up, walked to Chiyo, laid her hands on her shoulders and looked straight into the little girl's eyes.

"_Please, swear to me that you will never become a Puella Magi._", she said very slowly in a determined, perhaps even a little scary voice.

"Huh?"

"Just promise me, please. You don't want to become a Puella Magi. You really don't."

"I promise, but... why?"

Sakari lifted her hands from Chiyo's shoulders. She looked like she was going to say something, but instead just walked to the window, looking at the setting sun, her back turned to Chiyo.

"Sakaki-san?" Chiyo asked carefully. Sakaki looked like she was about to cry, and then she collapsed to the floor.

"Do you have any idea what I wished for? Any guess?" she asked, suddenly turning to Chiyo again.

"No, I don't. Not the slightest idea."

Sakaki stood back up very slowly and then looked out of the window again. "Beautiful. If only I didn't know there are evil beings that drive people to madness, beings that _I have to kill_, I could enjoy this sight."

She sighed without turning away from the window. "You probably didn't know this, but back in middle school I was really lonely. Always alone. Then in the last year I met him. Kyubey."

"And then?"

"I made my wish. I wished for..."

"For?"

Sakaki took a deep breath. "_Friends._"

Chiyo was really surprised to hear this, maybe even a little shocked. She had always thought that even though Sakaki might seem to be a little scary at first, she would still be the type who gets friends easily. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find any words to cheer up her friend.

"And, well, I got friends. You, Osaka, Yomi, Tomo... but still, I feel like you're not really my friends", Sakaki continued.

"Why is that?"

"It feels like cheating. Other people actually have to earn their friends, but I got them by just wishing for them. I'm sure that without Kyubey I would still be alone, like in middle school."

"That's not true."

"Huh?"

Without saying a single word, Chiyo walked to her much bigger friend and hugged her tight, now crying herself. "That's not true at all. I would be your friend no matter what", she whispered. "I never knew that your life has been so hard."

Sakaki was a bit embarrassed, but at the same time, she now felt happier than maybe ever before. She whispered back: "Thank you, Chiyo-chan. You're the best friend I could have ever had."

* * *

><p>"Can I ask for one more thing?" Sakaki asked a bit later.<p>

"What is it, Sakaki-san?"

"Could I sleep here this night?"

Chiyo thought about it for a while. "I think you can, but I can't stay up for as long as you. Remember that we have a school day tomorrow", she answered.

"That's fine. I just want to stay here. By the way, can I use the phone to call my parents?"

"Of course. While you do that, I'll make a little something for us to eat."

* * *

><p>Soon both Chiyo and Sakaki were back upstairs in Chiyo's room. Chiyo had brought them some more tea and a few sandwiches. It was already past eight, so it was quite dark outside.<p>

"So, what is it like being a Puella Magi?" Chiyo decided to ask.

"It's hard and dangerous. I really regret that I ever made a contract with Kyubey. I just want to be normal. I'd rather be alone again than fight witches all the time."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"And my wish hasn't made me any happier. Why did I wish for friends? Why did I wish for anything at all?"

"_It's not my problem. You made that wish. I only fulfilled it."_

They could now hear a scratch from behind the window. It was a white cat-like creature with its face frozen in a smile. Kyubey.

"So, you came back", Sakaki said, her voice filled with the anger she felt towards the creature. Chiyo opened the window and Kyubey jumped inside and on a table.

"Give me one reason to not throw you out of that window right now", Sakaki said to Kyubey, sounding even more furious than before.

"_Why are you blaming me? I just did my part of the contract, didn't I?"_

"My wish never made me happy, as I wanted. You didn't fulfill the wish."

"_You never said you wanted to be happy. You said you wanted to have friends, and you got them, right?"_

"Why would I wish for friends if not to be happy?"

"_I don't know. How could I? My race doesn't have emotions, like you humans do. I don't know what it means to be 'happy'."_

"But still..."

"_If you wanted to be happy, you should have wished for it, and I would have made that come true. But that wasn't what you wished for. Why do you humans always blame someone else, even if the one who made the mistake is you?"_

Sakaki was silent for a while, as if she was thinking about what Kyubey just said, but then seemed to realize something.

"You're right. You're completely right."

Kyubey didn't react to this at all.

"Please, I beg you: is there any way to become a normal human again?" Sakaki asked, kneeling in front of Kyubey.

"_I don't know."_

"What kind of answer is that?" Sakaki asked, now sounding angry again.

"_I can't do it. I'm not strong enough to do that."_

"Does that mean there's no way I can become normal again?"

"_I didn't say that. I only said that I can't do it. Someone else with more magical power could do it. Maybe."_

"Please, tell me everything you can. Everything that could possibly help me."

"Sakaki-san, you seem so desperate..."

For Chiyo, it was horrible to see her friend like this. She always thought that Sakaki would be a strong person, someone that others could depend on. But now she looked like someone who had got a death sentence.

"_I have no idea right now. But I promise that if I ever think of something that could work, I'll tell you."_

"Thank you", Sakaki answered in a voice which didn't sound very thankful.

"_Goodbye then. We'll see again."_ Kyubey jumped out of the window again, disappearing like earlier, deep into the darkness of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> I thought this story was supposed to be about Osaka, but maybe the story knows better than I do.


	4. Stargazing

**A/N:** This chapter isn't very important to the plot. Probably. But I'm still pleased with it.

I know that Osaka was supposed to be the main character, but as I said earlier, the story seems to have a life of its own. I haven't forgotten her yet though :)

* * *

><p>Chiyo was walking on a dark path with several torches around it, illuminating it in a creepy way.<p>

"Where am I? Why am I here?" she asked, even though there was no one around.

In the distance she saw a large light. She started to run towards it. It was a lamp in the middle of a park.

"_You need to wake up."_

"Huh?" She looked around her and saw a creature sitting on a bench. "Kyubey?"

"_You must wake up. Now."_

"What are you saying?"

"_This is no time for questions. Wake up!"_

* * *

><p>Chiyo woke up in the middle of the night. She noticed that Sakaki was also awake, looking out of the window again.<p>

"Oh! Sakaki-san, are you awake too?"

Sakaki turned around. "Chiyo-chan? I thought you were asleep."

"Something just woke me up... I remember something in my dream... talking to me?"

"Who was it?"

"I can't remember, but I'm sure that he was somehow familiar..."

"Interesting. What did he say?"

"He only said that I must wake up. At least that's all I can remember."

"What a weird dream." Sakaki turned back towards the window.

"Why are you awake then, Sakaki-san?" Chiyo asked.

"I'm looking at the night sky. It's really beautiful. You should see it too."

Chiyo climbed out of her bed and walked next to Sakaki.

"Ooooh!" It was a little cloudy, but she could still see thousands of stars and the full moon, which was shining high up in the sky. "You're right, it's really pretty."

"Have you never looked at the sky in the night?"

"No, I haven't. I always go to sleep already and don't wake up until early morning, when you can't see the stars anymore."

"I have done this since I was a little child. The stars are so mysterious. Even magical. This sight is always relaxing."

They stood there for a while, standing next to each other and admiring the beauty of the space and everything in it. The stars, the moon and everything else.

"We could see the stars better if we went outside", Sakaki suggested after a while.

"I really shouldn't... but I think it's okay", Chiyo said.

"Let's go then. It's warm, so we don't need much clothing."

* * *

><p>It was a really warm night and as Sakaki had said, Chiyo didn't feel cold at all. She didn't even feel tired, though it was well past midnight already. In fact, it almost felt like a dream.<p>

"You were right, you really can see the stars much better outside", Chiyo said.

"But this is still nothing."

"What do you mean, Sakaki-san?"

"There's only one place where you can really see them. And it's right there", Sakaki said and pointed to a place not very far away.

"That hill there?"

"That's right. From experience I can tell that it's the best place for stargazing in this town."

"Do we really have to go so far? I mean, it's already so late and we have school tomorrow..."

"Of course not, but you have no idea what you'll miss. Full moon is the most beautiful sight I know. Come, take my hand!"

Chiyo hesitated at first, but then grabbed Sakaki's hand. It felt really warm and friendly.

"But won't people think we're crazy for running around the town in the middle of night wearing only pajamas?" Chiyo asked.

Sakaki smiled and even laughed a bit, which she hadn't done in months. "You're so funny, Chiyo-chan. Don't worry, no one will be awake to see us."

Sakaki sounded so sure that Chiyo didn't think about it any more. She completely trusted her.

They walked out of the Mihamas' garden and to the street hand in hand. Usually Chiyo was really scared when she had to go outside when it was dark, but having her hand in Sakaki's calmed her, like nothing could hurt her when she was there.

"This feels really weird... is this reality or just a dream?" she asked.

Sakaki looked at her and smiled. "What do you mean, 'just' a dream? Dreams are full of magic, you know. You can create your own world, much better than this one. A perfect world."

"What are you talking about, Sakaki-san?"

"I'm saying that it doesn't really matter whether or not this is a dream. Are dreams really any less true than reality? But to answer your question, no, this isn't a dream."

They continued their walk towards the hill that was now straight ahead of them. It wasn't very far away, but to Chiyo it felt like she had walked together hand in hand with Sakaki for hours.

Finally they found themselves at the top of the hill. There was an old oak tree at the highest point.

"I come here quite often. I usually sit by that tree, leaning against it and enjoying the view", Sakaki said.

They both sat next to the tree, very close to each other. The sight, as Sakaki had said, was amazing. The hill was much higher than the surrounding town, so they could see the whole sky clearly. Thousands of little lights were like white dots painted on a black canvas, and above all of the stars was the moon, shining its mysterious, dim light. Every once in a while it got covered by a cloud drifting by.

"So beautiful!" Chiyo said, amazed by what she saw.

"Yes, it is. I often come here when I'm really sad or tired. Looking at the night sky, even for just a little while, makes me feel much better."

The town was almost completely dark. Only a few lights here and there told that some people didn't sleep even at the earliest hours of the day.

"Hey, I can see my house from here!" Chiyo shouted with the enthusiasm of a little child to which the whole world is full of magic and all kinds of wonders.

"You can see the whole town from here. See, my house is there, a bit further away."

"And there's our school too!"

"And there's the park we have often walked through after school with our friends."

"And there's Osaka's house!"

"And there's the movie theater where we have often went together."

"You sure can see everything from here, don't you?"

Sakaki thought about it for a while. "You can see a lot from here, but it's still pretty much nothing. This is just a small town, and still there's so much here that you can't see."

"What do you mean?"

"The witches, for example."

"Oh. I'm sorry for asking. I didn't want to remind you of that."

Sakaki turned to Chiyo and smiled again. "Don't worry about it, Chiyo-chan. There may be a lot of evil in the world. But now I understand that there is a lot of good, too. And it's thanks to you."

"Me?"

"Yes. It was you who showed me that even in a situation as bad as the one I'm in, you always have wonderful friends to help you survive. I would have lost hope without you. But now I'm sure that even if I'm going to be a Puella Magi for the rest of my life, I can do it."

Chiyo thought she saw a tear in Sakaki's eye. But she knew it was not a tear of sadness, but one of happiness.

"And even if I'm going to be a Puella Magi, I know that I help to save the world from evil. That means that I can save people from committing suicide and other terrible actions. And I'm going to do my best."

"That's so awesome, Sakaki-san! I wish I was cool like you."

"Don't say that, Chiyo-chan. You're perfect the way you are now. Cute and innocent."

Chiyo didn't answer, but smiled back at Sakaki.

_Sakaki-san is a great friend... so easy to talk to and always understanding, though sometimes she seems to be in a world of her own. And she brought me to this really beautiful place. I had no idea that watching the stars would be this nice._

She yawned and stretched her arms.

_But it must be at least three o'clock already, and I'm feeling really tired now. And I'm still wearing only my pajamas... though she was right, no one else seems to be awake so late at night, and it's quite warm, so it doesn't matter._

She leaned back against the old oak tree. Sakaki did the same, too.

_There are so many stars in the sky... all of them are pretty. What a nice sight, so relaxing and soothing too. I'm so tired I could almost fall asleep right here and now... so tired..._

Finally she closed her eyes, still leaning against the tree with her arms behind her head as a pillow. The full moon shined its eerie, maybe magical, yet beautiful light on her body, like a guardian angel watching over her. A slight smile could be seen on her lips.


	5. The next day

**A/N****:** _This chapter took quite long, mostly due to_ _lack of motivation and a large amount of schoolwork. Maybe I'll get the next one done quicker :P_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>The next morning Chiyo woke up to a familiar voice.<p>

"Good morning, Chiyo-chan", Sakaki said.

Chiyo stretched her arms and let out a yawn, and then sat on the edge of her bed. Rays of the morning sun were shining through the window, coloring the whole room with a warm shade of yellow. Next to the window stood Sakaki, already fully clothed.

"Good morning, Sakaki-san!" Chiyo said joyfully. "What time is it?"

"It's half past six. School begins at eight today, so you have no need to rush yet. But it looks like you accidentally set your alarm clock to ring too late, so I decided to wake you up."

"Thank you, Sakaki-san. I guess I forgot that school starts early today. Oh, have you been awake for long already?"

"Maybe an hour or so. I usually wake up quite early."

"Oh, I just remembered - last night I saw a really weird dream", Chiyo said as they were eating breakfast in the kitchen.

Sakaki smiled a little, as if she already knew about it, but Chiyo didn't notice that. "Really? What was it like then?"

"In the dream we both walked to a nearby hill to watch the stars. I remember that we talked about something under a tree, but I can't remember what it was."

"That certainly sounds quite interesting."

"Doesn't it? But the weirdest thing was that it didn't really feel like a dream at all. It just felt so real."

"Is it so? I would actually like to show you something."

"Oh! What is it?"

"Let's go outside."

Chiyo followed Sakaki to the front door. The tall girl then opened it.

"Look at the ground and tell me what you see", Sakaki said and pointed a few feet away from the door.

Chiyo crouched and glanced downwards, her eyes suddenly opening wide as she noticed something. "Is it... a footprint? It looks like someone has walked here barefoot... wait! Does this mean that..."

Sakaki smiled. "Yes. I carried you back here on my back after you fell asleep. You looked so tired that I didn't want to wake you up."

Chiyo blushed. "R-really? Thank you, Sakaki-san", she said while twiddling her fingers embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it, Chiyo-chan. I promise I won't tell anyone."

About an hour later, at half past seven, it was time for them to go to school. As always, they walked together.

"I feel a bit tired, I guess I didn't sleep that much last night", Chiyo said, yawning.

"You'll be fine, don't worry about it. And you fell asleep quite quickly at that hill."

"Really? I remember that we talked for quite a while there."

"Sometimes time just seems to slow down. We only talked for maybe fifteen minutes."

Chiyo didn't say anything. J_ust fifteen minutes? That's hard to believe... Actually, I'm still not sure if that happened at all. It all feels so unreal. But Sakaki wouldn't lie to me, would she?_

The thought was suddenly disrupted, as she noticed that they were at school already.

"Good morning, Osaka-san!" Chiyo said to her friend as she reached her seat.

"Mornin', Chiyo. You look a bit tired."

"I am a bit tired."

"No wonder, running around in the night like that."

"Yeah... wait, how did you know that?"

Osaka freezed for a moment, but then seemed to remember something. "Oh, right! Kyu-nyan asked me to wake up. Then I decided to look out of the window and saw you and Sakaki walking to that hill. A while later I saw Sakaki carrying you on her back."

"Kyu-nyan? Do you mean Kyubey?"

"His name is so weird that I forgot it."

"Oh. Anyway, he also appeared in my dream, telling me too that I must wake up. Weird, isn't it? Maybe even a little scary."

"Hahaha! You have so funny dreams, Chiyo-chan", Osaka said giggling.

"_Like you don't"_, Chiyo thought_._ "Do you remember anything else from your dream?" she asked.

Osaka thought for a while. "Right! I was in a park of some kind."

"A dark one, with a lamp in the middle of it?

"Yeah."

"Exactly like mine then. Do you think Kyubey has done this?"

"_Of course"_, a voice said. A voice they both knew well. Kyubey's.

"Did you hear that?" Chiyo asked from Osaka, surprised to hear Kyubey's voice.

"Uh-huh."

Chiyo was going to something else, but then the door opened and Yukari-sensei stepped in. "Later", Chiyo whispered.

Like the day before, they - Chiyo, Osaka, Sakaki, Tomo and Yomi - ate lunch on the roof.

"Hey, Sakaki! Do you think we could see how you fight against witches some day?" Tomo suddenly asked.

"Huh? I'm not sure... that could be very dangerous", Sakaki answered.

"Please? I want to see your magic too", Chiyo pleaded.

"Chiyo-chan? Are you sure?"

"Of course! Well... not really, but I'm sure that I'll be safe as long as you're there."

"I guess it's okay then. How about you others?"

Osaka nodded. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll come if Chiyo does."

But one voice said: "I'm not coming."

"Yomi? But of course you have to come. Or are you scared?" Tomo started teasing her friend.

"I said I'm not coming. I value my life very much, thank you."

Tomo seemed to be at a loss of words, which was most unusual for her. "Huh? But... I see", she started, but realized that Yomi was completely serious.

"So, everyone but Yomi, come to my house at six then", Sakaki said.

Just a few seconds later the school bell rang as a sign that lunch was over and the afternoon classes would start.

It was six o'clock and Chiyo, Osaka and Tomo had gathered in front of Sakaki's house. Sakaki herself was nowhere to be seen, though.

"I hope Sakaki comes soon, I can't wait to see her in action", Tomo said.

"Just wait a little longer, I'm sure she'll come", Chiyo said.

A minute or so later the door opened and Sakaki walked out, though very slowly and blushing. She was wearing a costume consisting of a dark blue dress with silver decorations, black gloves and shoes and a white beret-like hat. In her hand she had a huge purple bow.

After a moment of awkward silence, she asked carefully, clearly embarrassed: "How do I look?"

Chiyo admired her dress a while longer before opening her mouth. "You look really gorgeous!"

"... really?" Sakaki asked.

"Chiyo's right, that costume suits ya perfectly", Osaka said.

Tomo didn't say anything, but she seemed to be about to burst into laughter. It looked like even she knew when to keep her mouth shut, though.

"Let's go then", Sakaki said.

Sakaki started leading the group. Everyone - including Sakaki - was a little scared of what would happen, but no one decided to tell the others.

"Where are we goin', Sakaki-san?" Osaka asked after they walked for a few minutes.

"I don't know yet. We have to find a witch somewhere", Sakaki answered.

They walked around the streets for a while. Though it wasn't that late yet, there were surprisingly few people around, which Chiyo found a little scary.

Suddenly Sakaki stopped. "I think there is a witch around here. Be careful now."

"Hey, there's sumthin' here", Osaka said. She was looking at something that looked like a dark gem.

"Don't touch it!" Sakaki yelled. "It's dangerous."

Almost exactly as Sakaki said that, the gem seemed to explode, casting dark rays which bounced wildly everywhere. In place of the gem was soon a portal.

Everyone jumped backwards, surprised by this. Everyone except Osaka, that is.

"What's that?" Osaka asked from Sakaki.

"It's a magical portal. A witch is lurking on the other side. We must go through it."

At this point everyone except Osaka was unsure of whether to continue or not.

"I'll go first then", Tomo said, trying to sound brave, but failing.

"I-I-I'll come too", Chiyo said. She sounded like she could collapse at any moment.

Osaka raised her hand. "I'll take that as a sign that you're coming too", Sakaki said.

Tomo walked slowly toward the portal. She was quite visibly trembling, which she had probably never done before. She stood in front of the portal for a while, but finally stepped in. The others followed her; first Osaka, and then Chiyo and Sakaki, who was holding the little girl's hand.


	6. The world of a witch

**A/N:** _This is a quite short chapter, and it was written in under an hour at school :P_

_This is my first time writing a fight scene by the way. I hope it turned out okay._

* * *

><p>The world behind the portal was, if nothing else, very colorful. Most walls and floors were dark blue, with some shades of green, red and yellow making it look like they were full of graffitis.<p>

A long tunnel waited ahead of them. It was so long that they couldn't see the end at all. It seemed to be empty, but they could hear diabolical laughter from somewhere. It sounded distant, yet they felt that something could attack them at any moment.

They started walking towards the end of the tunnel. They walked for a minute, and another, and another, but they still couldn't see the end.

"This is boring! I expected some real action", Tomo complained.

"Soon you will hope you hadn't said that", Sakaki said.

Suddenly they heard an explosion behind them. There was a huge, smoking hole in the wall of the tunnel. "I think we have to go that way", Sakaki said.

Sakaki lead the group to the hole and they looked through it. Behind is was a dark, round area, which looked like an arena of some kind. Dim lamps were all around the arena, and behind them were ghosts and other dark creatures that looked like they were straight from a nightmare.

"I-I-I'm not sure if I want to continue anymore", Chiyo stuttered, almost crying. Her face was completely white; she almost looked like a ghost herself.

"I'm sorry, Chiyo-chan, but there's no way for you to leave now. I tried to stop you from coming earlier, but you really wanted to come. Just stay with Tomo and Osaka for now, and you will be okay", Sakaki said.

Sakaki walked to the arena alone. She got her bow ready for whatever she would face.

On the other side of arena was a huge iron gate, which was opening slowly. Soon the witch came out. It was an undescribable horror, even worse than the hundreds creatures watching them and laughing madly.

The witch was large. It looked like it was confused of dimensions, like it couldn't decide if it was two- or three-dimensional. It looked like a badly deformed minotaur. It let out a huge roar, which made all the ghosts take a few steps backward. Sakaki didn't move, and neither did Osaka, Chiyo and Tomo, who were already quite far away.

The minotaur immediately charged towards Sakaki, who avoided the attack by leaping out of the way. The minotaur hit the railing on the edge of the arena, but it didn't seem to be hurt.

While the beast turned around, Sakaki shot an arrow at it. The arrow shone brightly, like it was made of pure light. A horrible scream confirmed that the witch was hurt by the arrow.

The ghosts didn't laugh anymore. Instead, all the eyes (and the non-eyes of the creatures that didn't have eyes) were now watching Sakaki, who dodged another attack of the minotaur. She shot two more arrows at it.

The witch seemed to inflate and soon it was twice as tall as before. "Bring it on", shouted Sakaki. The beast was furious; its eyes were burning red and its breath seemed to be on fire.

It ran toward Sakaki much faster than earlier, and Sakaki didn't have time to jump out of its way. Instead, she crouched and the minotaur ran over her without managing to hit her at all.

"I knew a beast like that wouldn't be very agile", Sakaki said in a calm voice. The beast had managed to get its horns stuck between the rails and was, at least temporarily, completely unable to move.

"Time to finish this", Sakaki shouted. She raised her bow once more and fired a flurry of light arrows at the witch, which soon disappeared in a puff. The creatures around the arena cheered Sakaki, who had won. Her friends, who were watching from afar, came to the arena to congratulate her.

"Well done, Sakaki-san! You're so brave!" Chiyo said enthuastically.

"Wow, Sakaki! I didn't you you're so awesome", Tomo said.

"Those lights were pretty", Osaka said.

"Thank you, everyone. Now, let's get out of here. I'm not sure if I want to meet my new fans", Sakaki said, pointing at the drooling ghosts.

She led the group back to where they entered the witch's world and walked out of the portal. They found themselves in the same place where they found the dark gem. In its place was now another gem, a bright one this time. Sakaki picked it up, looked at it for a while and finally put it in her pocket.


End file.
